Fairytale: The Talking Sparrow

The Talking Sparrow

A war veteran had won in many battles for his lord, and, at last it came into his head that, he wanted to lead a normal life. So, he went to the Emperor, and said, ‘My lord, I had served your Majesty for many years, and I had never asked for a reward, but, now I wish I could have an ordinary life.’ The Emperor, who was very kind to his followers, not only approved the soldier wishes, but, also gave him a piece of small land.

The soldier built a cottage beside the land, and started to plant maize. He had a quite good and happy living. But, as he grew older, he felt lonely and desperately wanted to have a companion---as he was old, he did not wish to have a wife, but a least a child to be lived with.

One day, as he was working on the farm, an old lady met him, and asked him, ‘Dear good man, I’m hungry, can you please spare me a corn to eat?’ ‘Sure,’ the soldier said, and he gave the corn to the old lady, ‘you can have some more if you want to.’ ‘Enough, my dear,’ the old lady said, ‘as you was so kind to me, I shall grant you a wish, what do you wish for?’

‘I hope to have a son’ said the soldier. ‘Very well,’ the old lady said, ‘your wish shall be fulfilled.’ What had the old lady foretold soon came to pass, the soldier now had a son, which was healthy and very filial to him.

Twenty years had passed, the son grew up; he was strong and brave like his father when he was young. Meanwhile, there was a rumour being talked about: in the far away land, inside the big thick wood, lived a wizard who was to believe, practicing a certain kind of black magic that need to make used of maiden‘s blood. The young ladies were so frightened; moreover, as parents—who feared that, they will lose their child.

Now it came that, the wizard was about to finish the last stage of his practice, he need blood from a maiden that was different than anyone else of the previous. So, he went out to search for his victim, and, at last he spotted the Emperor’s daughter, who was having sightseeing with her two maidens that time.

‘Ah,’the wizard smile, ‘what a lovely child she is! I think her blood, will be the best suited for my magic!’ Hence, the wizard turned into a whirlwind, and carried away the princess with him. When the maidens explained what had happened just now, the Emperor was in great fear, for he had heard how the rumour was. He then proclaimed to the world that; whoever could save her, should have her as a wife, and should be the Emperor after his death.

Then, a duke’s son came to take the risk. He and his men entered the wood, but before they could reach the wizard’s whereabouts, they were all cursed to become a sparrow, and the wizard soon came out and caught them. After him came several others, but they all ended in the same manners.

The Emperor was so grief, till he at last fell out of sick, and hardly could he wake up. The Empress took control of the country temporarily. She sent out her troops, as many as she had, to arrest the wizard, unfortunately, the same thing happened to her troops. The Empress was worried, for the men she had sent out, all disappeared miserably; thus, no ones else in the castle were willing to go out again. The Empress felt nothing can be done, but to leave the matter to the decision of the God.

Meanwhile, the soldier’s son was eager to have a trial, but, his father told him , ‘Don’t go, my child, for I feel that something bad might happen to you, and will separate you from me!’ But the son was very pressing, and at last however, the soldier said, ‘Then, takes my sword with you.’

The young hero soon came to the wood, where the wizard was. And, like the others, he was cursed and changed into a sparrow. The wizard then appeared, and tried to capture him, but he managed to escape. However, he could not fly out further from that land, for the wizard had put a spell on the land, so that whoever came into the wood will be trapped.

Time passed on; the soldier’s son did not come back, and no tidings of him were to be heard. But, the old man still kept on waiting for his son‘s return. Every day he sat outside the house hoping to see that his son was homed; and every night he dreamed that his son was backed on the bed.

And at last, he decided to set out to find his son .After a miles he had traveled, the old lady who he had met several years ago, stood before him. However this time, the old lady did not ask for any food, but to ask what had made him looked so sorrowful. The soldier explained to her, and the old lady pitied him very much. ‘Don’t worry,’ the old lady said, ‘you will soon meet your child back!’ ‘Really?’ said the old soldier, ‘I will meet my son back?’

The old lady nodded her head, and said, ‘whatever meets you first, on your journey to seek your son, will be your son.’ So, our great father went forth, and as he was near to the wood that everyone feared of, it was the talking-sparrow he met, and no doubt that the sparrow was his son. The soldier ran to his son, but was rebounded by an invisible shield that separated him and his son. ‘Father,’ cried the sparrow, ‘please be careful by not hurting yourself.’ The old soldier tried to slay the invisible shield with his sword, but no matter how hard he tried, the shield just would not break.

‘Father,’ said the sparrow, ‘please stop slaying, for it was no used at all.’ ‘No,’ the old soldier swung his sword again, said ‘No matter what it takes, I will bring you home with me!’ All of a sudden, the old lady came to help; she broke the spell of the invisible shield, and turned the son back into human form.

Then, she casted a powerful spell on the young man; that none any other spell could harm him. The young man held his sword; ran into the wood; and came to the wizard’s hideout.

As the wizard was trying to draw blood from the princess, he suddenly felt a cool on his chest; and later saw the blood was bleeding out from his chest. And the next moment, he was on the ground, without even knowing who killed him.

And, like the Emperor had said: the young man married with the princess; and was the heir to the country.


Signed off by,
Tan

Fairytale: The Painter and the Tabby Cat

The Painter and the Tabby Cat

There was once a painter who can paint very well than any others in his country. Despite of his talent, he was not highly valued by the King. The King himself was also a great painter and was jealous about the painter’s skills. So, he was forced by the King, to leave the country.

With no place to stay now, the painter said to himself, ‘I shall travel around the world, and find a place, where my skill is highly appreciated.” So, he began his journey to that very place.

For a year he had traveled, he came across many places, and earned a good living by painting for people. But, this was not what he wants. So, he kept on traveled and traveled to that very place he thought of.

One day, he passed by a village, and saw a few villagers filled with anger, were chasing a tabby cat down to a dead-end, and finally caught it. He asked, ‘What had happened?’ ‘That puss had stolen our fish many a times, but managed to escape from our catch, one of the villagers said, ‘these time, we will make it paid for the result it had cause us!” The painter asked, ‘What you all going to do with the cat?’ ‘Well,’ another villager said, ‘I guess we will probably hang it up on the trees for one or a couple of days, as a punishment.’ The crowd began to discuss how to punish the cat. And, every time they spoke of the ways to punish the cat, the painter was so shocked, at the way of punishing which was too cruel.

So, the painter talked to the villagers, ‘Please let it go! And I will paint a great picture of you all for free.’ The villagers discussed for a moment, and at last they agreed to   release the cat. So, the painters kept his promise and paint the picture of them for free.

He then continues his journey, and came to a country. Soon, he found that this country suited him very well, and was definitely the place, where, he can be highly appreciated for his skills. He became a free-lance painter in that country, and was being paid very well. Moreover, for every once a year, the King would hire the greatest painter in the land, to paint a picture of him. ‘And,’ the painter said to himself, ‘this will be my greatest chance to have recognition by the King!’

Now that very day had come, the King had announced that, if anyone can paint a good portrait of him, will be granted a status of a royal painter. Many of the great painters in the land, soon came for the quest, but were in the end, turned off by the King, for their skills were unsatisfied. Then, the painter came for the trial, and his painting was impressed by the King. However, the King did not keep his promise, to grant him a status nor a fee.

The painter tried to protest, but angrily the King shouted, ‘Who do you think you are? Dare to say such kinds of words to me? Locked him up into the prison and hang him up to death by tomorrow morning!’

In the prison, the painter had lost all his hope, and cried sorrowfully at the corner, for the time now, was near to tomorrow morning. No one else will come for the rescued, unless some miracle happened. ‘Poor me!’ the painter said to himself, ‘to die at this young age, who will come and saved me?’ ‘My friend!’ he heard a soft voice talking to him, ‘I will save you, do not worried.’ ‘But,’ the painter asked, ‘how will you do that?’ And before he could knew it how, the door of the cell was opened, and the tabby cat (who life he had saved), came in, and said, ‘run now my friend, do not turn back your head till you come to a small village. And I shall meet you there.’

The painter ran out the castle, without looking back ahead, and he soon came to the small village as told by the cat. And there, the cat was waiting for him under a big tree. ‘My friend,’ said the cat, ‘I am glad to see you here!’ ‘As so am I!’ said the painter, with tears in his eyes. ‘Well,’ the cat said, ‘let you waste no times, but to leave quickly. For the King had sent out his men, and they will soon come by!’ The painter asked about how the cat can escaped, the cat said, ‘need not worry about me, I will meet you at the next destination!’

So, the painter ran and ran and ran, till he came to a city. And the cat was waiting for him at the front door of one of the shop. ‘My friend,’ said the cat, ‘I am glad to see you here again!’ ‘As so am I’ said the painter, with tears in his eyes. ‘Well,’ the cat said, ‘let you waste no times, but to leave quickly. For the soldiers will arrive soon!’ ‘But,’ the painter said, ‘My stomach was empty, I need something to fill before I can run.’ ‘Well then,’ said the cat, ‘wait me at the exits, and I will get you something to eat.’ So, the painter stood outside the exits, and the cat brought him a bun to eat.

After that, he continues to escape, and came to a kingdom. And there, the cat was waiting for him at the entrance. ‘My friend,’ said the cat, ‘I am glad that you are able to make your way here.’ ‘As so am I’ said the painter, ‘Am I free now?’ ‘Of course you are!’ said the cat, ‘and, as long as you stayed here, your wish shall be fulfilled.’

So, the painter settled himself here and started to paint for the people in day; and worked as a painting teacher at night. His paid was handsome, and he led a good living with it. More importantly, his wishes did come true: for the King, in every once a year for his beloved princess’s birthday, will invite the greatest painter in the kingdom, to have a paint of her. The rewards were of course the best one.

Many painters had come for the task; their paints were no doubt the best one .But the princess was unhappy, simply because, they were not her wants. Then, our painter came and tried for his luck, and his paint was most impressed by the King and the princess. So, the King rewards him a big house, a horse and a servant. But, these were

not what he wants. He wanted to tell, but was afraid to speak out due to his past experience. However, all out of a sudden, the princess told her father, ‘I wish he can be a royal painter, so that he can everyday draw for me!’

The painter was surprised, so, the princess explained to him, that she was actually the cat he had saved. And the King, who was always wanted to pay a debt of gratitude to the person who had saved her daughter’s life, now dreams come true.

Signed off by,

Tan

Fairytale in Jeff & Tan

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Title of the first one: The Painter and the Tabby Cat


Signed off by,
Jeff & Tan